Prairie wildflowers await atop river bluff

The blackberry lily blooms in mid- to late-summer on the Trout Valley Trail.

Trout Valley Trail map

Day hikers can discover blufftop wildflowers on southeastern Minnesota’s Trout Valley Trail.

The 7-mile lollipop trail sits in the Trout Valley Management Unit, one of several units making up the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest. The forest protects 1,588 square miles of Minnesota’s Driftless Area.

To reach the trailhead, from Weaver, Minn., head south on Minn. Hwy. 61 for two miles. Turn right/west onto Wabasha County 29; upon crossing the county line, it naturally becomes Winona County 31. A parking lot is on the trail’s left/east side.

The trail’s gravel stem heads with a 300-foot climb up the bluff. Though steep, every step you take crosses eons of geological history, as the limestone and sandstone beneath your feet was set down more than 400 million years ago when this part of the world was alternately beneath and at the edge of a shallow tropical sea.

Blufftop wildflowers
At the second trail junction – specifically the one that is a large ATV turnaround – go right/south. You’re now on the looping Trout Valley Trail.

The terrain crosses a fairly flat, open area. This is a great stretch for wildflowers.

Blufftop wildflowers generally are the same as you’d find in prairies to the west. That’s because the flat tops of bluffs – like prairies – receive a lot of sun and have sandy soil.

During early spring, look for hoary puccoon, Indian paintbrush, prairie smoke, pussytoes, white shooting stars, and wood betony. By late summer, an entirely new set of wildflowers – including asters, evening primrose, fleabane, goldenrod, Queen Anne’s lace, yarrow, yellow coneflowers, white campion, and wild bergamot – are in bloom.

Soon the grasslands gives way to a tree plantation on your left. The trail here is about as wide as a country road and heads through a tunnel of pine trees.

Blackberry lily
Next the trail passes a cultivated field for about a half mile before re-entering the woods. Though wide, the trail is rocky and steep as it descends between two bluffs into a valley.

You’ve reached the valley floor when the trail passes parking area for a snowmobile trail.

What comes down must go up, and the next 0.6 miles is another precipitous ascent. Watch for the blackberry lily along the trailside.

The blackberry lily’s brilliant orange flowers usually bloom in August. The plant grows up to two-and-a-half feet high and are easy to spot because of the spear-shaped petals that are mottled a dark crimson, giving them the nickname of the leopard lily. Its seed pods contain spherical seeds that look like blackberries.

Mississippi river views
At the bluff’s top, the trail makes a hairpin turn, skirting the edge of an open area. Red pines and a variety of shrubs populate this barrens.

Once the trail curves west, pause for a great vista of the Mississippi River below. You’re at about 1160 feet elevation, a full 46 stories above the river. The bluffs and hills on the other side of the river are in Wisconsin.

Bald eagles often can be seen riding the thermals over the bluffs and diving down to the river. They also search the goat prairies along the Mississippi River bluffs for prey.

Other wildlife that can be spotted on the trail include white-tailed deer – you’ll probably spot their tracks on the trail through the tree plantation – and butterflies that flit about the wildflowers in the blufftop prairie.

The trail continues to skirt the north side of the irregular-shaped blufftop, providing glimpses of the river through the tall pines and birch.

Valley vista
When the trail makes a sharp, almost right angle, look for railing that marks a fantastic vista of the bluffs and valleys that sit off the river.

Next the trail enters a woodlands. Upon passing a marshy area, the trail reaches the ATV turnaround. Turn right/west onto the stem trail and retrace your steps to the parking lot.

The state forest is named for Richard J. Dorer, who supervised wildlife development at the Minnesota Department of Conservation in the 1940s-1950s. He proposed a groundbreaking plan for managing woodlands and rehabilitate land deeply eroded by farming.

In 1960, Minnesota put the plan into effect by creating the state forest across seven counties. This included replanting bluff sides and runoff ponds. When Dorer died in 1974, the state forest was named in his honor.

Great day hikes found in Red Wing, Minn.

Memorial Park overlook of Mississippi River and Wisconsin shoreline bluffs.
Photo courtesy City of Red Wing, Minn.

Mississippi River views, blufftop prairies, country creeks and more await day hikers in the Red Wing, Minn., area.

Nearly 20 day hiking trails can be found in the city, located about an hour’s drive southeast of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. They range from under a quarter mile in length to nearly 20 miles.

Based on location, the trails generally can be grouped into five areas: Barn Bluff; Cannon Valley; Coon Hill; Hay Creek; and Memorial Park.

Barn Bluff
The prominent bluff rises 30 stories above downtown Red Wing along the Mississippi River. It contains five trails:
• Carlson Lime Kiln Trail – The 0.22-miles round trip hike heads to historic kiln ruins. Park in the lot along Fifth Street northeast of U.S. Hwy. 61.
• Midland Trail – The 0.28-miles one-way trail links the South Trail to the North Trail on the bluff’s forested south side. Park along Fifth Street near the South Trail trailhead.
• North Trail – The 1-mile one-way trail runs along the bluff’s east and north sides on its way to an overview of the Mississippi River and to the bluff’s summit. Park along Fifth Street near the South Trail trailhead.
• Prairie Trail – The 0.55-mile one-way trail sits at Barn Bluff’s summit, heading across a blufftop prairie between two scenic overlooks. The shortest way to reach the trail is from the South Trail.
• South Trail – The 0.54-miles one-way trail rambles alongside the bluff’s south side to near the bluff’s top, where it connects with the Prairie Trail. Park along Fifth Street near the South Trail trailhead.

Cannon Valley
At one time, railroads connected small towns across America, usually running right next to rivers as that was the flattest route. The Cannon River spills into the Mississippi River north of Red Wing. The railline since has been converted to a bicycle/hiking path:
• Cannon Valley Trail – The paved trail runs 19.7 miles, most of the way alongside the Cannon River, on a former Chicago Great Western Railroad line, connecting Red Wing to Welch and Cannon Falls. Parking lots to access the trail in Red Wing are available at the Old West Main and Bench streets junction or at Lower A.P. Anderson Park.

Coon Hill
Several trails can be found on this wooded hill, which is mostly located in the wooded Billings-Tomfohr Conservation Area (Part of the hill is owned by the Red Wing school district.). Trails there include:
• Coon Hill Loop – The trail loops about the top of Coon Hill for 0.4 miles with a couple of spur trails to scenic overlooks. The best way to reach it is via the Neal Street Trail for a 0.8-mile round trip hike.
• East Loop – The 0.5-miles trail links the Sumac and the Twin Bluff trails; park at the trailhead off of Sumac Drive or at the middle school during non-school hours. The hike runs about 1.2-miles round trip if taken from the Sumac Trail and 1-mile round trip if from the Twin Bluff Trail.
• Neal Street Trail – The 0.2-mile one-way trail heads almost to the top of Coon Hill where it links with the West Loop and the Coon Hill Loop. A parking lot is at the end of Neal Street.
• Sumac Trail – The trail goes 0.35-miles one-way, heading uphill to the East Loop and ending at Coon Hill Loop. Park at the lot at the end of Sumac Drive.
• Twin Bluff Trail – The steep 0.25-mile trail ascends the hill behind Twin Bluff Middle School and connects with the East Loop. Park at middle school during non-school hours.
• West Loop – A 0.6-mile loop is on west side of Coon Hill, near its highest point. The best way to reach it is via Neal Street Trail for a 1-mile round trip.

Hay Creek
One usually doesn’t expect to find a pretty little creek running through a city, at least not one that feels like you’re ambling down a rural road. One trail follows the creek on the city’s south side:
• The Goodhue-Pioneer State Trail – Formerly known as the Hay Creek Trail, the state trail runs from near the intersection of Pioneer and Hay Creek Valley roads for about 3-miles one way to the Hay Creek Unit of the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest. A number of other trials can be found in the state forest.

Memorial Park
Several interconnected trails run throughout the park that sits on Sorin’s Bluff east of downtown, offering great views of the Mississippi River and of the city:
• Bush Street Trail – Take Skyline Drive to the parking lot at the disc golf course and walk the trail to Bush Street. It runs 0.2-miles one-way.
• Cow Path Trail – The inclined nature trail at 0.75-miles round trip passes a historic pump. Take Skyline Drive to the parking area at Upper Quarry and then walk to Bluff Street.
• Lower Quarry Trail – Park in lot at end of Skyline Drive in the Lower Quarry then walk it to Seventh Street East. The trail goes about 0.5-miles one-way.
• Main Trail – This route consists of several stacked loops that over four-miles heads through three prairie areas and to Lower Quarry. Park at the golf clubhouse off of Golf Links Drive.
• Wilkinson Street Trail – The 0.3-mile one-way trail starts at the end of Wilkinson Street north of Hwy. 61 and connects to the Main Trail at Prairie area 2. Park along Wilkinson Street.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.